


Flowers for No One

by hungrytiger11 (hungrytiger)



Series: A Rose Bloomed [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: A Rose Bloomed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-21
Updated: 2009-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-07 11:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hungrytiger/pseuds/hungrytiger11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Getting yellow roses signified the ending of an affair or relationship. They also meant friendship. The irony was not lost on Ino, who knew how roses bloomed.<br/>First in the "A Rose Bloomed" series</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flowers for No One

"My father got these today." A bouquet of flowers was thrust into his face. They weren't nice flowers either. They were wilted and smelt of garbage. Backing up a step, he realized it was because there was garbage on them. Old noodles, potato peels, and bits of newspaper clung to the petals and wrapped around the stems.

"These are yellow roses. My dad doesn't sell yellow roses, so she had to have bought them somewhere else."

Beyond the burst of rotting flowers, he could see a girl with short, fair hair who looked near his own age. He thought she might have looked a little familiar, like from family dinners or his parents' friends. His mother's orders had been to find a girl at this house and bring her back with him, cause she was going to stay with them a few days. Shikamaru wondered if this was that girl. He also wondered if she'd quit beating the flowers against the pavement soon. It was making loose bits of noodle come flying back at him.

"Daddy doesn't sell them 'cause they mean 'an end of an affair' if you get'em, and that's sad, Daddy said. So don't you think it was mean she sent them?" He realized this was a question, but the girl didn't seem to need an answer. His mother often didn't need answers to questions either. Then the girl sniffed, and, with alarm, Shikamaru realized it was entirely possible this sniffing, rotten-flowers girl might just start crying, and _what would he do then?_ Crying girls were not part of orders.

"She sent them, and now she won't be a new mommy, and now that's making Daddy go away," she whispered, finally letting the flowers drop listless by her side. As they dropped, he noticed the stems had been thick with thorns; her hands were torn up from gripping so tightly. Feeling hopelessly awkward, he did what his dad said to do when things got tough. He took a deep breath and decided to take it like a ninja. He knelt down beside her. His thumb traced over several of the cuts on her hand, as he inspected the damage. Her hands were smudged with dirt, and, now, so were his. He wondered how much garbage she'd dug through to get those roses, and what she was going to do with them now she had them.

"That's not why he's going," he jerkily informed her. "My dad's going too; they're on the same team. It's a mission, just a mission."

She rubbed her fingers against her palms, but made no move to release her wrists from his grip. She made no move to look up at him either. "He asked for a mission cause of her. 'Cause she sent these this morning."

"That's a pretty dumb thing to do." The words escaped out of him before he could give it a second thought, but the horrid possibility that it might be true had entered his brain. His father was leaving too. That wasn't why though. It just couldn't be. His dad couldn't be risking his life cause some girl broke a friend's heart. That wouldn't be fair, but as his mom often told him, life wasn't about fair…

Her arms jerked back, ripping hands out his grip.

"And who are you?" she snarled, as if, only now, she was truly aware she'd been talking to a stranger. The words were so fast and angry that he stumbled back, landing on his butt._ And I was only trying to help!_ he groaned inwardly. _Ugh! What a pain!_

"I'm Shikamaru," he grated out, rubbing at the forming bruise. "My mom made me come get you. Since your dad is going with my dad on a mission, you're suppose to stay at our house."

The girl ran her hand through short, fair hair, leaving dirt streaks behind.

"Oh," she huffed out tonelessly. A blush crossed over her nose and cheeks. "You're not gonna tell my dad about this, are you?"

Shikamaru wondered if she meant 'tell on her' for digging flowers out of the dustbin, for being upset, or for being rude. Not that it mattered. He wasn't this girl's mom. He wasn't gonna waste his time tattling. That'd be too much trouble. He reached up to rub his neck, spitting out a "No."

Something crumbled inside her, making the girl suddenly seem more open, but also more vulnerable, as she smiled in relief. He stepped over the scattered cuttings towards her, heading to the door. "Good," she sighed. " Um, I'm Ino by the way…."


End file.
